The sudden appearance of a "new star" (nova or supernova) has fascinated people for a long time. The fact that these stars soon disappear again quite quickly to the naked eye adds to the mystery. We now understand these phenomena quite well, even if not in every detail. On closer inspection, the variety of appearances is astonishing, especially the development of brightness over time. Novae are therefore among the most popular objects of amateur astronomers today, who measure stars photometrically or spectroscopically. The lecture explains what the nova system consists of - because a nova is not just a star - what differences there are between the various novae and what causes them. The current novae of the new year 2025 - if there are any to be seen by then - will also be presented.

Speaker: Dr. Mathias Kolb (Planetarium Erkrath)

LIVE lecture by a guest speaker on the current state of research.

Further events at the location: https: //rausgegangen.de/locations/volkssternwarte-koln/

Homepage of the location: https://www.volkssternwartekoeln.de